Delicious pasta dishes
If you have seen previous posts on my blog you know that one of my preferred cooking implements is the pasta maker. Initially I had an old world Italian pasta roller, but I was later blessed with an electric version as a Christmas gift. In 30 minutes or so, I can have a plate of fresh pasta ready to go based on flour and egg that has been mechanically kneaded in a processing bowl and extracted through the extruder in a variety of shapes.
Simple homemade pesto
What to do next? We have a number of favorite pasta styles and sauces. Simple and friendly is a pesto, which also tends to be homemade – basil, pine nuts, EVOO and parmesan cheese – and is easy and quick in the electric food processor. But there is also a killer recipe for bucatini that includes sardines and dill, which we indulge in rather a lot.
Strawberry Fettuccine Alfredo
If I am looking to do something completely different for dinner guests, I have a go-to exotic that I invented based on a story my sister told me about an alfredo dish she had in a restaurant in Philadelphia.
While the name “strawberry alfredo” is borrowed, I designed the recipe based on a standard alfredo sauce, but using gouda cheese, equal parts heavy cream and sour cream and a dash of cinnamon at the end. I mash strawberries into the cream mixture and then finish off with sliced berries to serve. This dish frequently gets raised eyebrows but rarely disappoints.
Mangia bene!
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